Piper PA-30 N8321Y

Summary

On 23 June 1997 at about 16:00 local time, a Piper PA-30 registered N8321Y, operated by Robert North III, was involved in an accident near Highgate, Vermont, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

23 June 1997 at 16:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Highgate, Vermont, United States

Nearest airport

Franklin County State (FSO)

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Piper PA-30

Registration

N8321Y

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Robert North III

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → West Dover

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

NYC97LA126

1 person was seriously injured.

The pilot's failure to secure the cargo. A factor was the pilot's failure to perform weight and balance calculations.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot loaded 100 unsecured paper bundles in the airplane that had a useful load of 1,100 pounds. During the initial takeoff climb, the airplane rotated normally, then pitched up excessively. The pilot reduced power and lowered the nose to prevent a stall. He then performed a forced landing into trees. Examination of the wreckage did not disclose evidence of mechanical malfunctions, nor did the pilot report any. The pilot stated that he was unaware of the cargo invoice that listed the cargo weight to be 1,800 pounds. The cargo was weighed post accident, and was determined to be 1,450 pounds. The airplane had a useful load of 1,100 pounds. The pilot did not report that he secured the newspaper inserts after he loaded them, and there was no evidence during the postcrash examination that they were secured.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.